Just One Yesterday
by SapphireElliore
Summary: Maybe Tokyo isn't just all about them being together. Maybe he just wished to be free from the very illusion he made himself. Then it became a nightmare. He just wanted to cure himself from it, then it turned into a catastrophe. Seven years later, and it's still an unfixed mess. Based on the lyrics of the song by Fall Out Boy. You know the ending if you know the song. MakoHaru.
1. Chapter 1

_If heaven's grief brings hell's rain_

_Then I'd save all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

**TOKYO, JAPAN (SEVEN YEARS AGO)**

_"Makoto."_

"Haru, please don't tell me you're not going to uni just because I'm not picking you up today."

_"Makoto." _The tone at the other end of the line was more insisting. Makoto sighed.

"Nope. It wouldn't bear less on my conscience. See you later, Haru-chan."

_"Don't call me—"_

Sighing again, Makoto hang up. He knew it was bad leaving the conversation like this, but he can't help but ending it like that.

Placing the phone on his bedside table, he walked in front of his dresser.

_"Makoto?"_

_"H-haru"_

_I just can't stop, can I?_

"dammit." He murmured as he leaned his head on the wooden panel of the dresser. _Why?_

The phone rang again, placing Makoto's thoughts hanging in the air.

"geez, haru. Stop this." He said as he went back and picked the phone up.

Surprisingly, and much to Makoto's disappointment, it was not Haru calling.

" Morning. You slept well?"

_"yeah. How about you?"_

"Same old me." And he had the courage to lightly chuckle.

_"Let me drive all those your so-called 'nightmares' away, Mako-kun."_

"It's just one."

_"then that would be easy to handle~"_

"persistent today?"

_"I just miss you. You know me."_

And he laughed at that. _At least someone says the truth. _

_"So what do you say? Tonight?" _But he has to meet with Haru later.

Having said that, maybe he cannot meet Haru later. He ditched him early today. Might as well ditch him all day.

"Sure. Same place?"

_"Same! Bye~"_

"Bye,"

And the call ended. Not as long as he would expect, but now he felt a heavy weight of guilt. Maybe because of _that, _maybe because of _him-_

_I should really get rid of that __**nightmare. **_

And he decided himself, that it's time to end everything.

Go big or go home. That's all the options he has now.

**SHOPPING DISTRICT, TOKYO, JAPAN (8 PM)**

"Makoto! Hey, Makoto!" a female voiced ringed in the noisy air, as Makoto turned in the direction of the voice.

"Hey," he greeted warmly as he welcomed the female, who now ran to him.

"you seem easy to convince today." She said to him, her sapphire-blue eyes brimming with delight.

"to accompany you, seems a plan for me." He replied back, staring at her, losing himself in those eyes of hers.

"aww, Mako-chan," she purred as she placed her arms around his right arm. "No need to be a gentleman."

Now that's something. "That is my front afterall."

"well, let's keep that front of yours for a while. Let's go!" She exclaimed as she and him started to walk to the busy crowd.

As she told him about her daily escapades, Makoto looked around. Bright lights filled every established. The atmosphere was joyous and festive.

"hey! Are you even listening?" she had to catch his attention once again.

"sorry. Just amazed by the decorations." He apologized with a smile.

"what do you expect, this is Tokyo! Oh, wait 'til we get to the park!" She exclaimed as she ran ahead of him, her happy face turning to look back at him, calling out his name, asking him to hurry.

"alright, alright. I'm coming already." He said as he caught up with her, finally standing beside her, in the middle of the park.

"well?" she asked.

That as the queue, Makoto took the chance to look around. It was more beautiful than he imagined. The lights glowing steadily, the air, the people going around, the girl beside him staring happily at her surroundings, those sapphire-blue eyes looking at him with both surprise and amusement-

"it's so beautiful—" and everything was tuned out of Makoto's ears. He was once again drowned in those eyes.

The same eyes who seem to look monotonously at everything, but was now showing deep…

"hey, Makoto! You're not listening!" And he wasn't really. Who would, at a time like this.

**_"Makoto." _**Same intonation. Same subtle commanding and insisting tone. But tonight, it was more than that.

The only tone he always heard since childhood, was now filled with hurt. It was coated with so much pain.

_Why?_

"H-Haru?"

_Why now?_


	2. Chapter 2

_(I know I'm bad news, I saved it all for you)_

_For just one yesterday_

**INSIDE AN APARTMENT, TOKYO, JAPAN, 9 PM (SEVEN YEARS AGO)**

For the first time, he remembered to shut the door.

No, he always knew that he should shut the door.

He was just too lazy to care.

But now he felt so bare.

So empty.

_"Hey, Makoto!"_

_"Hold on a second, okay?" _

_"you know him?"_

_"yeah."_

That smile he saw.

That was just for him.

He only saw that smile when it was aimed towards him.

It was no longer his.

For the first time, he spent his remaining hours in his sofa, lying. Staring.

He never saw him with any girl before.

At least, never in that way.

_Looks like I'm just a nuisance now, eh? _

_When you always stayed by my side, I didn't pay attention._

For the first time, he didn't bother to take his clothes off to change.

He just lied there, not caring.

_I pretended I didn't notice._

_I was scared that you might notice._

And for the first time, he felt hot tears flow down his cheeks.

He shielded his eyes with his hands.

_I never knew it would be this painful._

_It so so painful, Makoto._

For the first time, he knew no one would be there.

He won't be there to be concerned.

**SWIMMING POOL, TOKYO UNIVERSITY; THE NEXT DAY; 10 AM**

"Nanase! Someone's looking for you!"

He rose up to the surface, looking at his senpai who called.

"who?" haru asked.

"same guy."

"thanks." He only said as he went pass him and took his towel from the bench and headed straight to the exit.

"h-hey, Nanase! Aren't you changing?" his senpai called.

"it'll just be fast." He only replied, now opening the door, and stepping out of the room.

"H-haru?!"

"Makoto." He only replied as he went in front of Makoto, ruffling his hair with the towel.

"aren't you changing? You'll catch a cold." Makoto chided.

Haru stared at him. _Concerned? _"Make it fast, so I won't catch a cold."

Makoto stared at him in shock.

He only looked back, observing the other's deep eye bags. _He slept late last night. I'm not surprised at all._

Makoto slumped back to the bench. And sighed.

"I guess I'm screwed then." Makoto exclaimed.

"Why?" Haru asked back, although knowing the reason.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you why I have to cancel our meeting last night, she was—"

"What makes you think you're screwed because of that?" haru asked back.

"Haru…" Makoto protested. "stop making this hard for me."

_It's harder for me. _"I don't care if you have a girl or whatnot."

"Look I'll make it up to you, I promise—" _Stop making promises._

"No need. Sorry for being a disturbance."

"haru, there's no way that you could be a distur-"

"NANASE! Sensei's calling for you!"

Haru turned to where the voice was from. "I'll be right there."

"It's time for me to go then. Haru," Makoto called his attention.

"Yeah." He only replied as he turned back at Makoto.

**_"Haru,"_** the same pleading voice called out.

"Let's stop this. Makoto."

_Stop this façade right now._

"What do you mean?"

_Stop pretending not to know and drifting away! Say those words again, say what you said that night! _He wanted to scream and shout, but he knew. Oh, did he knew.

"You don't have to see me anymore. I'm fine with it. You could just call me if you want to say something. You're busy, and I don't want to be a nuisance anymore."

Makoto didn't reply. Haru looked at him from the corner of his eye. It was just sudden, because he quickly averted his gaze.

He doesn't want to see his face.

"bye." He only said as he walked away.

In fact, he doesn't want to see him anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

_I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way_

_Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

**SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA; CURRENT TIMELINE**

Seven years passed, and it felt like nothing ever changed.

He was still carrying those memories.

He never forgot his voice, his touch, the warmth and heat he felt when he felt his fingertips at his chin, the anticipation building as he felt his face near his, those three words that made everything so complete yet made everything fall apart-

"stop daydreaming, Haru."

He looked at his red-haired, hot-headed friend in front of him, happily munching his breakfast.

"you were doing it earlier. I thought you said to me before; '_you should follow my good example, Haru'._" He replied back.

"Stop throwing my old shit, Haru."

"you just can't believe you said those type of things, Rin."

"yeah, maybe I can't." Rin said as he drank his coffee. "At least I move on."

Haru raised an eyebrow with that last statement. He thought about where it came from. _Ah. _It wasn't really hard to recall.

"That doesn't seem moving on to me, Rin." He snapped back, anticipating his reaction.

Rin stopped whatever he was doing and stared at Haru.

"It is to me. Because we closed everything."

"No." one stare at his friend's eyes and he knew. The same pain. "you closed nothing."

Rin chuckled. At least he tried. "you won't be getting anything from me, Haru. Besides a thank you for this breakfast."

"your welcome." Because he never told him anything. He just gave him a call after college and said he wanted to try in Australia. No reason. No mention of Makoto. Nothing.

"you wanted to try, but look where it got you."

"don't call me being a chef an unsuccessful outcome."

"it is. Because you aimed to swim. No, _you stopped _swimming."

He did. He stopped. Because everytime he steps into the vast water he remembers. The water makes him remember.

"we've got reasons." He only replied. "Like you do."

Rin sighed. "you just don't stop, don't you? I'm being respectable here, and you're trying to dig in my past?"

Haru only returned to what he was cooking.

"At least I stopped because I admitted I didn't want to. You stopped because you remember Makoto everytime you step in the water, don't you?"

"you didn't want to because you felt guilty of leaving Sousuke without an explanation."

Rin tapped the kitchen counter with his fist. "Seriously, Haru. We are doing this now?"

Haru sneered. "It's your day off, right? You've got time."

Rin looked at him with dismay. "And you don't."

Haru had to chuckle. Rin really knew his schedule for today. Maybe it was because on a sticky note on the fridge. "Later."

This surprised Rin. "So I'm staying over?"

"yeah. I need help with my storage room."

"I hate you sometimes."

"I'm telling you, don't worry."

His life as a chef proved out to be satisfying at all. He thought being in this country, it would be hard for him to cope up. But his newfound friends proved him wrong. It was all thanks to Rin's hard work on teaching him the English language, first of all.

"Haruka, don't tell me this is your last month at Australia!" his assistant chef exclaimed while doing a dish beside him.

"Kevin, I told you already. I have to leave." He replied.

"But Haruka!" another voice exclaimed at the end of the room.

"This is your last day! HARUKA I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"C-calm down." He still has a little struggle on pronouncing, but he manages. "I'll be coming back, I hope."

"HOPE FROM YOU IS THE LAST THING WE WANT!"

"You guys have no choice, I can't change my decision."

"What do we expect from you, you're hopeless."

Haru smiled. He'll miss them. But they'll move on after he's gone.

"take care of my spot for a while, I'll take my break." He said as he removed his scarf and started to head for the door.

"YOU DON'T DESERVE A BREAK, HARUKA!"

He shook his head. They never give up. "Whatever." He only said as he went out and stepped into the restaurant.

"Hey, hey Makoto! I thought you're looking for him!"

"There he is! The guy we're telling you!"

"Is that him?"

"Huh-where?"

Haru froze.

He looked at where the commotion was coming from.

And it made him want to disappear.

Those olive-green eyes he wanted to forget for so long.

**_"Haru," _**the same tone.

Seven years, and yet that tone made him cringe.

The tone filled with so much hurt and confusion before, was still the same even though that person was hiding it underneath his usual cheerful voice.

And it irked him so much, made him so uneasy, that he can still decipher, still know all of his cover ups after every effort he exerted to forget so.

He gulped, taking all of his will not to rush to his side and just, just take him back. As if it would be that easy. "Makoto. Hey."

Makoto, giving him the same smile he saw years ago, went in front of him. "Long time no see! And here I thought I'd never see you here! I gave up hope and here you are!"

_You talk so lightly as if nothing happened. _"ah, okay."

"Hey, Makoto! You're gonna be occupied then? We'll take our leave!"

"Wait! Hey, haru can I ask you for coffee?"

"I'm going to take my break. See you later." He managed to say as he walked away and headed for the back door, not minding even if he was just talking to someone earlier.

"Haru!"

_'Til here? What does he want with me?_

"Haru-chan! Finally caught up to you!" Makoto exclaimed as he now stood in front of the table where Haru was quietly sipping his coffee.

"Don't call me chan." Haru found himself saying out his usual remark. Makoto smiled. _Not that again._

"can I sit?" he then asked.

_You're already there, how can I refuse? _"suit yourself."

"thanks, Haru."

"yeah."

"guess seven years in Australia didn't change you at all." Makoto retorted, as he sighed. "I didn't know speaking in English is so stressful."

"I got used to it."

The silence after that was made Haru uneasy. And somehow, it made him confirm the reason why Makoto would appear now and here. That made this meeting unbearable. He had the urge to get out.

"Haru, we need to talk." Makoto finally said after a minute.

Haru averted his gaze and focused on staring at the people walking to and fro outside, through the glass window. "Aren't we doing that right now?"

"Right."

Haru didn't reply to that. At the back of his head, he doesn't know how to respond to this situation. Never did he even gave a thought that this would happen.

Makoto sighed. _Again. _"Haru, this won't be solved if I'm just the only one who would do the talking."

Somehow that statement made him snap. "I never thought that you would actually think of looking for me."

"I know."

"I never thought you would do that. I was so surprised."

"I know."

"I never thought you had the guts to drag yourself here after seven years."

"I wanted to give you time."

"You waited?"

"Haruka!" Makoto stumped his fist on the table. People started to look at their table. Haru just stared at him. "stop making it sound that I'm the bad guy, please."

"Aren't you? You drifted away after that night. You stayed away. You could have at least told me!" Haru snapped back, his composure all gone, baring every pain he kept for years in front of Makoto.

"Why are you so agitated over that?" One simple question. The question even haru had struggled to find the answer.

Haru took a deep breath. _I can't do this. In fact, I won't do this anymore. _He stood up, surprising Makoto.

"because I made a big mistake."

"Haru-"

"I decided to let you stop." Haru was already trembling, he prevented his face from revealing what he truly felt.

He left, like what he always did.


End file.
